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USDA Hardiness Zone 6a

Frost Dates for 49617 — Beulah, Michigan

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Frankfort 2NE, MI (948 ft), 8 miles west.

Updated

In Beulah, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Frankfort 2NE, MI).

Last spring frost
May 2

50% probability

First fall frost
October 26

50% probability

Growing season
175 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6a

-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night

First snow
November 16

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 11

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

29 of 29 observed

Snow per year
93"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Beulah

Half of springs at Frankfort 2NE, MI see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 14 20%, and after May 20 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 81% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, longer than at 87% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 138 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 14 days longer, to about May 16, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and March 18.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 30May 4May 9May 13May 16May 20May 23May 27May 31
32°FApr 19Apr 23Apr 27Apr 30May 2May 6May 9May 14May 20
28°FApr 4Apr 9Apr 13Apr 17Apr 20Apr 23Apr 27Apr 30May 6
24°FMar 24Mar 30Apr 2Apr 4Apr 7Apr 9Apr 13Apr 16Apr 21
20°FMar 13Mar 17Mar 21Mar 26Mar 29Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 10
16°FFeb 28Mar 7Mar 12Mar 15Mar 18Mar 22Mar 26Mar 29Apr 2
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23Oct 28
32°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
28°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
24°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4
20°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18
16°FNov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 20Dec 24Jan 1

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Frankfort 2NE, MI, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.

Frost risk on any date in 49617 →Compare Beulah with another place →

Weather by month in Beulah

July is the warmest month at Frankfort 2NE, MI, averaging 77°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 56% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,257 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 172 Michigan stations. 29% of them (652) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 586. Precipitation totals 34.4 inches a year, most in October (4.0") and least in February (1.7"); May to September bring 47% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Frankfort 2NE, MI
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan29192.2100%290
Feb31191.7100%270
Mar40252.0100%258
Apr52353.1100%1238
May64453.156%1186
Jun73553.20%0421
Jul77603.00%0586
Aug76613.20%0567
Sep69543.83%<1349
Oct56434.065%294
Nov44332.9100%159
Dec34242.2100%270

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Frankfort 2NE, MI (948 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.

Compared with the next station

The nearest other station, Beulah 7SSW, MI, 9 miles southwest of Beulah and 175 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days later (May 7), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 20), a season 12 days shorter.

Frost dates for 49614 (Bear Lake) →

When it snows in Beulah, Michigan

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Beulah usually arrives around November 16, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Frankfort 2NE, MI, 8.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 21 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 49617

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Beulah, Michigan
WhenWhat to do
February 21 – March 7Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 7 – March 21Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 4 – April 18Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 2 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 3Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 12Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 26 onwardPlant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter.

The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.

Where these figures come from

ZIP 49617 is 8 miles from Frankfort 2NE, MI, which stands at 948 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 49635 (Frankfort). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49617 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.

Frost dates across Michigan →

Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6a places in Michigan